Handicapped and disabled persons often find it difficult to take baths in the standard bathtubs in use today. Many such individuals have difficulty stepping into the bathtub, lowering themselves for a bath, and then getting out of the tub following the bathing procedure. Appliances which have been suggested in the past, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,110, have addressed some, but not all of these problems. For instance, no device is currently available which is easily and readily configured to be set-up and taken down following use by handicapped or disabled individuals. None have been developed which are lightweight and stored and adopted to be transported following use. None provide a means for safe use of such an appliance on the slippery bottom surfaces of bathtubs.
It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a bathtub appliance which is comfortable, safe, and effective for use by handicapped individuals or persons with disabilities.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bathtub appliance which can readily be used in a bathtub by a handicapped or disabled individual and, once use is completed, can easily be taken down and removed from the bathtub.
It is the further object of the present invention to provide a bathtub appliance which is of lightweight construction so as to be easily carried and transported.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a bathtub appliance which is readily rolled into a compact unit for storage and transporting in a carrying case, along with other components of the appliance.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a bathtub appliance which can safely be set up and taken down by handicapped individuals and persons with disability, without fear of their falling due to slippery conditions in the bathtub in which the appliance is being used.
These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention which comprises an appliance for individuals especially those with disabilities which render them incapable of readily getting into and out of a bathing position in a bathtub. The appliance consists of an inflatable seat with a top section forming a top seat surface and side, back, front, and bottom walls made of a resilient material of single ply construction. The seat, when deflated, is flattened and crushed into a thin layer which can then be readily rolled into a compact unit and stored and transported in an accompanying carrying case. A bath mat type extension is secured to the front wall of the seat to supply a non-skid surface to the user while in the bathtub and for facilitating the roll-up aspect of the invention. The appliance employs the use of an air pump and air hose for supplying and delivering air to the seat, along with a valve for controlling the flow of air. A remotely operated device for controlling the operation of the air pump is also provided.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention, itself, however, both as to its design, construction, and use, together with the additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.